I started LARPing 15-ish years ago and one of the most crucial thing that is often overlooked is taking the time to create a background for your character. Being an actor, I've come up with a list of questions that I ask myself every time I have to portray someone new, I found that using that list to CREATE a character is just insanely helpful. No need to write several pages worth of stuff, just answer most of these questions and you'll be more than ready for your next adventure!
P.S. The beauty is in the details! Also, feel free to improvise and change past answers! Nothing is set in stone, let the inspiration guide you! I usually do this exercise before playing my character for the first time but also right after, to take notes of some changes I might have made whilst playing.
Race/Ethnicity/Gender - Make sure that the Race/Ethnicity you want to play is indeed available at your LARP.
Full name/Surname - Name generators are the greatest gift to mankind... That and ice cream. It's okay if you can't think of a surname right now, or at all. Substituing Samuel for “Sam” is plain and boooooring. Think of what makes your character unique. Did something happen and made him get a stupide nickname, or does it maybe represent some aspect of your character's personnality? Getting through this list of questions should help you think of something.
Age – Sounds obvious but I can't tell you how many times I've encountered “super old” characters that looked like their regular young selves. That or old elves that were a mere 120 years old. Get your age straight people!
Birthplace – Not necessarily WHERE you were born but instead the circumstances that led to you being part of the world. Are you the first son of a couple of farmers? Are you the daughter of an exiled princess that has seen the love of her life get executed? This helps tailor you origins A LOT, don't skip this!
Childhood details – Some people say we are the results of our experiences in life. I say that we are the result of our PTSDs. What happened to you that might have shaped the person you would later become/aspire to be? Maybe you found some relic while exploring lost ruins. Maybe your parents blamed you for their misery and took it out on you every single day. Just know this: you having a “normal” childhood doesn't mean you aren't a valid character. It could even be that which shapes your personnality later.
Occupation – What is it that you do? Do you have a job? Where? When? Has your bard been traveling all his life, or is he the star of some downtown Inn? Maybe your family is rich and you've decided to pick a hobby that, in some way or other, will be useful in your future life as an adventurer.
Work details – If your character has a job, what can you think about how work is going? Who's the boss? How are your relations with your co-worker? Maybe you've met the love of your life at work, who knows!
Noteworthy physical details – Obviously, don't describe your whole body here. You know who you are and can't really change how you look a whole lot. What you can do, is take a note of what SHOULD be the first thing that people notice when looking at you. Are you armed to the teeth? Do you have a huge scar across your face? Do you have a lump? Are you permanently covered in blood because of some curse?
Noteworthy psychological details – What is your usual attitude towards others? Are you even sane? Sane-ish? This is the one question that is better answered after you have played your character at least once. Whatever you write here, don't stop you from doing something completely different if you find yourself incomfortable.
Twitch/Obsession – Everyone has them. This is A LOT easier when you just put those little things that you normally do. Biting your nails, passing your hand through your hair, cracking your hands, you see where I'm going?
Fashion sense – Do you have one? What does your character usually wear and, most importantly, why? If you already have a costume, that's fine! Just think of why you're wearing those colors, or those kind of pants. You work in the mines? Then what are you doing with a pink shirt? You like your costume, fine. But why does your character agree?
Leisure – We already talked about your main occupation, what is your second? Are you a vigilante by night? Are you painting with some homemade paints? Which brings us to our next question...
Arts – Arts are almost never reprensented in LARPs. And that's okay! But they always have some kind of place in the setting/ the worlds of role-playing. Are you a fan of music? Has your character ever seen a theater play? Who's her favorite author (if she can read, that is)?
Idol/Mentor – Your character looks up to that person/ideal. If you're the religious kind, this could be your god. Your shaman character got his powers from the ghosts of the departed and has always felt like a particular spirit has been his guide, that's a relationship worth a lot in term of background options.
Favorite color – Yep. Feels silly, because it is. Your favorite color does not mean a whole lot as character development goes but it could be a way to help design your costume and accessorize past the basic shirt, pants and armor.
Emotional life/Life partner(s) – Have you met “The One”™? Have you lost him/her/them? Are you lonely? Looking for love? This is a good way to find out what drives your character. Your character does not need to even have some kind of soulmate, but he sure does feel things nonetheless.
Defining moment – OK. Something happened that would change your character and/or how he perceives the world forever. That is your defining moment. It justifies your desire for adventure and defines your goals for all your LARP career. If you don't find something, however small it may be, you won't be able to play your character on a deeper level. Everyone has trauma.
Family – Big. Small. Happy. Miserable. Present. Away. United. Apart. Orphanage. Friends. Who are the people closest to you? Keep in mind that a family doesn't necessarily share the same blood.
Friends/Enemies - So no one told you life was gonna be this way? (Sorry, I had to) You faced adversity and some people helped you through it. What are the relations that left a mark on your characters? Why? Frenemies are cool, I recommend those.
Special abilities – We talked about what you want to do, but what CAN you do? I'm talking magic, pickpocketing, combat... And of course, why can you do all of that? That's the part that justifies your in-game abilities.
Alignement – Can't escape this one. I don't think that I need to explain this one. Beside, this post is already WAAAAAY too long.
Secrets – Maybe your character knows something that he shouldn't. Maybe he saw something that wasn't meant to be seen. Is it beneficial to him? Could it spark a conflict in the future?
Something old, something blue, something borrowed – One of the best tools is to have a physical object with you. Something that means a lot for your character. You can get a bit meta here like: you have that awesome necklace that fits your costume? Cool! Where does it come from? Is it a trophy of some kind? An heirloom? A curse?
There you go! Of course, you should change this list according to your own process of creation. But this acts as a pretty efficient basic background builder! Hope you like it! Leave your own additions to this list in the comments and feel free to ask your questions! Also share your own creations so we see what kind of characters you came up with! :D
Submitted August 20, 2019 at 03:28AM by NobodyJumper https://ift.tt/2Z5l9jA
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